Line holder for winches



Jan. 13, 1953 G. R. HUNT LINE HOLDER FOR WINCHES Filed Oct. 25, 1948 W M ct Z w m 2 4 w M Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LINE HOLDER FOR WINCHES Gerald E. Hunt, Long Beach, Calif.

Application October 25, 1948, Serial No. 56,401

Claims. 1

This invention is concerned with a line holder for winches, or the like, and it is an object of the invention to provide a simple, effective, easily operated device acting on or in connection with a winch or line handling drum to hold the line coiled snugly on the drum even though its extending or working portion may be free so as to be loose.

Winches or hoists of various kinds are employed for various services and it is common to use wire lines on the drums of such devices which lines wrap or coil satisfactorily and remain coiled so long as tension is maintained on the line. However, when the working end of the line is loosened or released the line tends to free itself from the drum, with the result that it may kink or tangle or requires manipulation before the structure is operated.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a device operating on or in connection with a winch or hoisting drum so as to maintain pressure on the line where it is wound on the drum so that undesirable looseness of the line does not occur or develop. With the device of the present invention operating on a line wound on a drum the line is uniformly maintained in proper coiled condition on the drum so that the line does not become cries-crossed, loose, tangled, or so disposed as to require manipulation preliminary to operating the drum.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure applicable to a winch either directly thereto or to a fixed part adjacent thereto, and which includes a line engaging member preferably in the form of a roller which contacts the line on the drum of the winch to maintain it in proper wound condition on the dru:

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the general character referred to which is of simple sturdy practical construction. The device provided by the present invention provides or involves few simple, inexpensive parts, is easily mounted to properly cooperate with a drum and is entirely free of complicated or delicate parts likely to fail, wear or become inoperative.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the general character referred to including a line engaging roller carried by spaced ears projecting from a bracket which roller has a rubber tread with end flanges serving to prevent tangling or fouling of the line with the device in the course of normal handling oroperation of the line.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of typical preferred forms and applications of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a persepctive view of a typical winch or hoist showing the device embodying the present invention combined with the hoist in a typical manner. Fig. 2 is a detailed transverse sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, showing in detail the manner in which the device of the present invention cooperates with the line carried on the drum. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal detailed sectional view of the roller of the line holding device showing the manner in which the roller is mounted and the manner in which the roller is related to the drum of the hoist. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view similar to a portion of Fig. 3, showing a modified form of construction.

The structure provided by this invention is applicable, generally, to hoists or winches and is shown in the drawings applied to a hoist of typical form commonly employed for general use or service. The type of hoist illustrated may be used in a situation where it is mounted stationary or on a fixed base or foundation, or it may be used to advantage on a truck or other vehicle.

The hoist shown in the drawings involves, generally, a frame It having a base formed or parallel beams II, and spaced standards I2 and I3 on the base carrying a shaft I 4 supporting the drum I5 which carries the line I 6. A suitable drive mechanism is carried by or in one of the standards, for instance, within standard I3, said mechanism being operated by a back shaft IT. The ends of shaft I4 project beyond or outward of the standards I2 and I3 and are shown equipped with cath'eads l8. The line I6 is wrapped on the drum I5 to be confined thereon by end flanges l9 and 2 provided at the ends of the drum. In the particular case illustrated the end flange I9 of the hoist drum is extended axially and forms a housing encasing a suitable brake mechanism.

The structure provided by the present invention involves, generally, a line engaging roller A, a roller carrier extending through the roller and projecting from the ends thereof, anti-friction means C supporting the roller on the carrier, a mounting bracket D supporting the carrier, means E pivotally securing the bracket to a stationary support and means F normally yieldingly urging the roller into pressure engagement 3 with the line or with several coils of the line carried on the drum of the hoist.

The line engaging roller A extends parallel with the drum I and enters between the flanges l9 and 26 of the drum to simultaneously engage a plurality of turns or coils of the line occurring on the drum, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. In its preferred form the roller involves a tubular core 25 preferably of metal, and aijacket orztread' zs onthecore' The tread is formed of one or more sleeve-like parts formed of rubber or the like. The tread is preferably a body of rubber of substantial thickness and occupies the core 25 from one end.to..the.other. The tread may be uniform in diameter from one end to the other, as shownjn.fFig. .3;;or;;as shown in Fig. 5, it may haveendflanges 2! which have some eifect as line "guides --but-which flatten or deflect on the coils of therlinecarried on the drum in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

-From-an examination of.Fig. 5 .it will be seen :how the .flange.2',-when flattened or-deflected, -.extends1axially beyond the end of theroller. to .overlie the end of the supporting bracket Dwhich carries the end of the. roller.

The carrierB is preferably a simple straight rod extending through theroller and projecting somewhat from the ends thereof and in the preferred form of the invention illustrated in the darwings .thecarrier rod is polygonal in cross sectional configuration and its ends are tightly carried in the ears of the bracket D.

' The anti-friction means C supporting the roller -'on the carrier preferably involves bearings at *the'ends'of the roller and in the form shown .the bearings are ball :bearingseach having an "inner'race-iiil, an outer race 3i and a series of balls-32 between the races. In the case illustrated the-outer races 3i'are pressed or snugly engaged in the ends of the roller. core 25 while the inner rraces-naresslidably carried onfthe :polygonal car- 'rier:B.

The bracketD is-preferably a rigid unit or elementwitlrspaced projecting ears til between which the-roller is mounted. The roller carrier Bextends between and'has its ends tightly engaged in openings'provided in the ears 4% The bracket D in the form illustrated in the drawings involves spacedparallel arms ii-with 1 :The meansl? pivotally-securing the bracket D tea suitable base or support serves to pivotally connect the bracket to any suitable. element or partrflxed relative to the-drum of the. hoist. If

fthehoist ison a vehicle the means E-may be .secured to apart of the vehicle which is sta- .tionary relative tothe hoist. drawings I have shown units of means E securing the bracket 1) to the beam members I i of the hoist However, in the frame It.

Each unit of the means E involves a lug 5t profleeting. from an arm Mofthe bracket D, a lug 5! projecting fronrafoot .52 and a pivot pin 53 :connecting the lugs 56 and 53. -theimeans Esmaybe secured to the fixed part ..as-for. instance to the beam of the hoist frame The feet 52 of drawings.

'by. suitable fastenersl55 such. as areshown in the .IIhe means 1F. normally? yieldin'gly. urging. the

D to a part fixed relative to the drum so that the roller A is parallel with the drum l5 and is positioned so that it may enter between the flanges of the drum as shown throughout the drawings.

The means F normally yieldingly urging the roller into pressure engagement with the coils of line occurring on the hoist drum preferably involves a tension spring 60 or the like acting on the roller Athrough the bracket'D. .In the case illustrated I show a helicalitension spring 68 having one end anchored to the frame of the hoist :at El while the other end of the spring is secured toa. turnbuckle 52 which connects the spring with the bracket D. By suitably ad- "lusting 1the:.turnbuckle $2 the desired spring tension -is applied .to the bracket D holding the "roller A in-pressure engagement with the coils .ofiline occurring on the drum l5.

The structure provided by the present invention .isiapplied to .or combined with a hoist so that-the roller .Ais parallel with the host drum .and isbetween theflanges thereof. Themeans F normally yieldingly urges the roller. into pressureengagement with the coils of line occurring -on the drum. .As the drum of the host isoperated either to playthe line out or reel it. in, the roller rotates and maintains pressure engagement withthe coils of line on the drumand as the line is thus operated it may wind into layers on .the drum in the usual manner, and as shown in the. drawings. .Withtheroller A in pressure -engagement with .theline onthe drum the end portion of the line extendingfrom. the drum may be relaxed or released at any time, allowing it to have looseness or play or even to be free without, any: danger whatsoeveroi the coils of line on the drum springing loose or-bec-oming somewhat unwound in a manner to cause fouling or tangling of the line. By reason of the line being maintained in snugly coiled condition on thedrum the drumis always ready for operation and any danger of fouling or slippage or injuryto the like, .such asoccurs whenthe-line isuncontrolled, is

completely eliminated.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applicationsof myv inventi0n,.I do not wish to be limited or restrictedtothe specific details hereinset forth,.but wish toreserve to myself any variations or modifications thatmay. appear to those skilled in the'art andfall within the scope of the following claims.

Having describedmy invention, Iclaim:

l..In combination, a drum .having...end flanges and a. line woundthereon between the flanges, a

. roller engageable between theflanges, a mounting supporting the roller parallel.with..the drum and between the flanges thereof, and meansnormally yieldingly holding the roller inpressureengagement with thelineon the drum, the ends of the .roller being adjacent the flanges on the drum .and having yielding flanges. thereon.

2. In combination, a drum having end flanges and a line woundthereon between the'flanges, .a rollerengageable betweenthe. flanges, a mounting supporting the roller parallel with .the drum and between theflanges thereof, and means normally yieldingly holding the roller. in pressure en 'gagement with the line .on the drum, the roller having a cylindrical line engaging tread formed of rubber and having radially project n end {langiesbf rubber. at each end of the cylindrical rea 3. In combination, a drum 'havingiend' flanges and a line wound thereon between the flanges, a

roller engageable between the flanges, a mounting supporting the roller parallel with the drum and between the flanges thereof, and means normally yieldingly holding the roller in pressure engagement with the line on the drum, the roller 5 having a rubber tread with end flanges and having a tubular core supporting the tread and antifriction bearings supporting the core.

4. An attachment for a hoist having spaced parallel base beams supporting standards and a 10 line carrying drum rotatably mounted between the standards including, a roller engageable with the line on the drum, a rigid elongate bracket supporting the roller for free rotation, means pivotally mounting the bracket on one beam to project upward therefrom tangential of the drum to a position where the roller engages the line on the drum, and means norm-ally yieldingly urging the bracket to a positioning where the roller is in pressure engagement with the line including, a tension spring arranged beneath the drum with one end connected to the bracket, and means attaching the other end of the spring to the other beam.

5. An attachment for a hoist having spaced 2 parallel base beams supporting standards and a line carrying drum rotatably mounted between the standards including, a roller engageable with the line on the drum, a rigid elongate bracket having the roller rotatably mounted at one end thereof, means pivotally mounting the bracket on one beam to project upwardly therefrom tangential of the drum to a position where the frame carries the roller in engagement with the line, and means normally yieldingly urging the bracket to a position where the roller is in pressure engagement with the line including a unit having a helical tension spring and a turn buckle connected end to end, one end of the unit being at tached to the bracket, and means attaching the other end of the unit to the other beam with the unit disposed beneath the drum.

GERALD R. HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 117,644 Kimball Aug. 1, 1871 402,688 Schulz May 7, 1889 1,912,013 Schneider May 30, 1933 2,416,585 Holub Feb. 25, 1947 2,450,718 Darnell Oct. 5, 1948 2,489,432 Peters Nov. 29, 1949 

